Explanations
by Harebelle
Summary: Single Chapter Short. Riley and Abigail discuss why Ben would go and visit Ian.


**A National Treasure fanfiction**

**Explanations**

Abigail Chase had just sunk into the plush sofa cushions as the DVD began to play on the flat screen television, when the unmistakable twin headlights of a car shone through the curtains, followed by the crunch of gravel as it parked in the drive.

"Oh, please." She sighed to herself, pausing the film and walking over to the window. She barely had to part the curtains to identify the red, gleaming Ferrari outside.

Moving to the front door, she opened it at just the moment Riley Poole tried to knock, meaning his knuckles tapped on thin air. The young man jumped slightly and then beamed at her.

"Abigail, hi!"

"Riley, you've knocked over our yakka plant pot." She gestured to his car, which was parked slightly over the gravel and into the tree.

"Guess I have." He turned and jogged back to pick up the plant, while Abigail picked up the closed cardboard box he had brought with him and carried it inside to the living room. The front door clicked shut and Riley joined her moments later.

"Hey. It didn't scratch the paint." he caught her expression "And the tree is fine!"

She jokingly shook her head, then smiled and gave him a friendly hug, which he returned.

"How are you doing, Riley?"

"I am good, thanks. You're cool?" He indicated to the TV "This movie is a total chick-flick, how'd you get Ben to agree to it?"

Abigail ran a hand through her blonde hair a few times, preparing for an awkward conversation.

"He's not here... I guess he didn't tell you he was going after all."

"Going where? I told him I'd probably be over this weekend days ago, he should be here." He blinked at her.

She didn't comment on how it was somewhat selfish to expect Ben to stay home without real notice.

"He's in England for the weekend. He's visiting Ian." She sat down on the sofa and switched the TV off, watching Riley's face. She had expected him to be confused at Ben's decision, like she herself was when he dropped the announcement just two days ago—after buying two plane tickets.

But the hacker was annoyed-- angry, even. Something he rarely was.

"Why didn't he invite me?"

"Would you have gone?"

"No, I hate that guy, but--"

"Ben knew Ian a lot longer than we did, Riley. They were friends... They need to settle things between them. I've had some time to think about it and--"

"But I'M his friend! Ben and I go everywhere together-- we went through all of THAT because of Ian!" He flopped backward onto the sofa, glaring off into space.

"I knew Ian for a while too, you know. He was a jerk to me from the first day we met."

"But Ben wasn't, right?"

"'Course not. Ben's always been the coolest guy... I think that's why Ian didn't like me much, because Ben and I got on so much after I joined the team."

Abigail looked at Riley and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's put this on hold for a moment. The best conversations are those over a mug of hot chocolate."

---+---

They sat opposite each other at the rustic kitchen table, both sipping the creamy drink from multi-coloured mugs.

"Okay, Ben and myself actually had an argument about this whole thing. More than one... But he explained why he was going." Abigail said.

"Did he say he would tell me? Because he _didn't_. Nothing."

"He said he might. He didn't know how you'd take it and was sure you wouldn't go. I didn't really talk to him about you, I was so annoyed at him flying across the ocean to see someone who tried to..."

"Huh."

"Think about it, though. I have. Ben's a nice guy, his friends are important to him." She paused. "He cares about you, Riley. I think Ben thought you'd hate going. He wouldn't want to drag you on something like that."

Riley didn't say anything until he'd sipped from his mug several times.

"Yeah. Ian and Shaw and the others kinda picked on me when we were working together. They'd always play poker, but would make a big deal when I suggested playing other card games. Or they'd be sarcastic about my computers and tell me to go back to my old job if I complained."

"Sorry."

"Huh." He said again, then continued. "Ben wouldn't join in, though, so I normally went to him to explain what'd I'd found about the Charlotte or the treasure or whatever. Then he'd tell the others and we'd be a little bit closer to the next step. He'd thank me in front of them, you know? He's such a cool guy."

Abigail caught a tiny smile.

"Him and Ian were also good buddies, though. They had in-jokes and everything. I think... Oh, man. I get it."

He looked down into his mug for a few seconds, then at Abigail, with an understanding smile on his face.

Riley carried on "He never did get to talk to Ian after the police caught him. It was all so fast, he just _changed_ when we were on the Charlotte and went from being Ian the British jerk to became...a criminal. I don't think he wanted it to go that way, but-- whatever. And like you say, Ben was his friend. He can't leave an open end. You know what he's like."

Abigail chuckled a little.

"Every part of the puzzle has to be in place."

"Yeah, heh. He'd want to know why treasure was worth screwing us over, you know?"

"That's what he tried to tell me, only with a different choice of words, ha. I think Ben would also want to apologise to him."

"What?"

"He feels bad for getting him arrested, you know. It even troubles him enough to mention whenever we talk about how we met."

Riley shook his head in disbelief.

"Ben's one complex guy."

Abigail sighed glumly in agreement. She felt bad herself now, and glanced at the trash can, thinking of the second plane ticket crumpled inside.

Ben would be there by now, after hours of flying alone to see a friend. A criminal, but still a friend.

"Thanks for explaining this all, Abigail. I won't have to yell at Ben when he gets back, now." Riley said, raising her spirits.

"You pretty much worked it out yourself, buddy. You know, Ben should call soon. Do you want to stay until he does so you can speak with him? We can find out for ourselves exactly what's going through that head of his."

"Sure. Hey, I can show you what I brought over to show him." He pushed back his chair and disappeared into the living room, returning with his box. He shook it and something inside of it made a barking noise.

Abigail stared and he laughed at her confusion, pulling out a robotic-puppy children's toy.

"Cute." She commented. "Is this because you're allergic?" The dog barked and repeated "Allergic."

"No! I've been writing programmes to use in earthquake search-and-rescue robots, actually. I've been trying some of the less complex ones in this little guy." He patted it before opening a panel in it's head to show her the chip inside.

"This one measures distance and depth. Plus I used facial-recognition technology they use in new digital cameras, so it can tell those controlling it if it sees someone trapped who the monitor might not display well enough."

"You made it that?" She was thoroughly impressed.

"The toy doesn't have the actual sensors for those things, obviously, so I had fun making them, too. That's why his eye display is all crazy looking."

"Is there anything that involves wires you _can't_ do, Riley?

"Thanks, Abs. And you know-- for uh, you're a cool friend."

"You too, Riley."

END

I had originally wanted to write about Ben, Abigail and Riley going to visit Ian all together, but decided that this was a tad more realistic, plus it gave me a chance to write Riley and Abs interacting. In the films, there aren't many scenes with them talking one-on-one.

I'd love feedback, NT fans. :3


End file.
